Pineapples for Everyone Shawl CAL: Finishing Off

Welcome to the Pineapples for Everyone Shawl CAL! If you’re just joining in, you can find the free pattern here. Ravelry members can join our CAL chat here. Our tag is 2013PFEcal.

As I mentioned last week, I finished my shawl but it was in need of some blocking. Confession time: I hate blocking.

It may be the fact that I live in an apartment with a cat, or perhaps it is the delayed gratification aspect. It might also be that I’m not so great at it.

I’ve arrived at a comfortable halfway point with my crocheted and knit projects. I agree that blocking is a necessary evil. I will block them, if necessary, but only if I can figure out a way for spray blocking, my favorite method, to work with my project.

I’ve mentioned before that I use children’s play mats, rather than “blocking boards,” for blocking. I found these on sale and it has worked for me so far. Above, you can see my shawl pinned out on my mom’s bedroom floor (thanks Mom!), waiting to be sprayed. I decided to accentuate the points a bit more by pinning those in place.

The amazing thing about blocking is that my shawl already looks better, and I haven’t even blocked it yet. Otherwise, it has a rumpled appearance.

If you’re new to blocking, here are some of my favorite online resources to help you get on your way:

This Knitty article by Jessica Fenlon Thomas talks about how to block different fibers while providing an overview of different methods for blocking. Yes, it is about blocking knits, but the same can apply to blocking crochet :).

This blog post by Doris Chan destroys the myth that crocheters don’t need to block. As she says, Just Do It!

I hope everyone has had fun with the CAL so far. I’ve been seeing some amazing projects on Ravelry. Remember that if you’d like to be entered to win prizes, you’ll need to share a picture of your finished shawl by next Friday, March 29. You can follow the links below (The big reveal) to show off your shawl. Good luck!